[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 30, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7770-S7772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IDAHOANS SPEAK OUT ON HIGH ENERGY PRICES

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, in mid-June, I asked Idahoans to share with 
me how high energy prices are affecting their lives, and they responded 
by the hundreds. The stories, numbering over 1,000, are heartbreaking 
and touching. To respect their efforts, I am submitting every e-mail 
sent to me through energy_prices@crapo
.senate.gov to the Congressional Record. This is not an issue that will 
be easily resolved, but it is one that deserves immediate and serious 
attention, and Idahoans deserve to be heard. Their stories not only 
detail their struggles to meet everyday expenses, but also have 
suggestions and recommendations as to what Congress can do now to 
tackle this problem and find solutions that last beyond today. I ask 
unanimous consent to have today's letters printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       It is a most interesting subject [to] bring up, the 
     escalating prices of oil and the reason they are so high. I 
     am tickled to hear that you believe in exercising our own 
     resources here in our own country.
       I have done a lot of research on this very subject and just 
     happen to know a lot of people that are directly associated 
     with or are involved in the Alaska oil situation and the 
     reason for the billions that we spent on the pipeline to 
     begin with. I also know that there is enough oil in Alaska to 
     last us for two hundred years . . . but Washington does not 
     seem to want to take that option. They are more interested in 
     foreign oil and the foreign oil policy, even at the expense 
     of our own country and fellow Americans.
       Are you aware of how much natural gas they pump right back 
     down into the ground using 747 Jet engines to do it with? If 
     you are not aware, you need to be aware of it and if it does 
     not madden you, then I can only question your way of 
     thinking. Don't take my word for it, do the research.
       If you are truly aware of what is really going on and you 
     are truly in favor of exercising our own resources, then I am 
     behind you one hundred percent. I am just not real sure how 
     we are going to get the ugly politics out of Washington D.C., 
     and I am an optimist, but on this one, it forces me to be a 
     pessimist. I believe it has gone too far and is way out of 
     control at this point.
       I also know that we could be buying gasoline for our 
     vehicles for less than a $1.50 a

[[Page S7771]]

     gallon if we were using our own resources, but again, 
     Washington does not seem to care and it sickens me. It is 
     clearly about greed and money and greed breeds greed--just 
     look how well it is working for the greedy. It makes me 
     wonder why I ever served in Vietnam and why I lost 60,000 of 
     my comrades, but [I feel resigned to accept what is 
     happening].
       I have always been behind you and supported you and will 
     continue to do so and only can hope that at least you will 
     stay honest or at least believe that honesty is the best 
     policy.
     Bob, Boise.
                                  ____

       I received an e-mail several days ago that has ``shaken me 
     up'' and started my mind working. [We have enough gas] to 
     keep all of America going for at lease 150, and probably 200 
     years, even accounting for increased population growth and 
     demand for energy. The reason--the ``bottom line''--that 
     keeps President Bush and Congress from allowing drilling oil 
     within our borders is NOT environmental issues, but paying 
     off the national debt. [Allow me to summarize:] In the early 
     1970's then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger traveled to 
     most of the oil producing countries in the world, agreeing to 
     buy oil from them IF they would sign to use part of the money 
     they made on the sale to buy off our national debt.
       If we started producing our own oil reserves, the fear is 
     that the U.S. economy would collapse because the oil-
     producing countries from which we buy oil would stop paying 
     down our national debt when we stopped buying oil from them. 
     Well, here is my solution:
       Start using our own oil reserves which would reduce the 
     cost of gasoline to about $1.50/gallon. Charge us $2.50/
     gallon, sending $1.00 per gallon to pay off the national 
     debt.
       Who would not be delighted to pay just $2.50/gallon again? 
     Who would object to paying a ``tax'' of $1.00/gallon to pay 
     off the national debt when we would realize a savings over 
     today's oil prices?
       Please do not just trash this. Please give it some careful 
     attention, and share the concept with others. It is time for 
     a change. It is time to start thinking about saving our 
     country for our country, and stop being held hostage by the 
     International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Thank you for 
     ``listening'' and implementing some changes.
     Lois, Caldwell.
                                  ____

       This is in response to your email asking for my story about 
     the impact that high gas and energy prices are having on my 
     life. You said I could write a paragraph or two about how I 
     am affected by high energy prices, and that it would be 
     worthwhile for me to share the priorities that I think 
     Congress should set in resolving this crisis.


                                 CRISIS

       (1) I no longer go backpacking, hiking, camping, or 
     canoeing. Instead, I float the Boise River on a tube, because 
     it is close to home. I used to buy equipment and services 
     that supported those hobbies, but now I do not. So, those 
     businesses that I used to patronize are impacted negatively, 
     because I stay in town. Who also suffers? The businesses near 
     the towns where I traveled, and the businesses on the highway 
     that lead to those areas.
       If more people are doing this, what is the impact to our 
     environment? More people will not recognize the beauty of 
     God's creation, which means they will be less likely to 
     support bills that protect the environment.
       (2) I no longer explore small Idaho towns and ghost towns. 
     Who suffers? The business in those towns, and the businesses 
     on the highways that lead to those towns.
       (3) Long before the ``energy crisis'', I had already 
     switched to fluorescent light bulbs. Fortunately, I had my 
     home built with 2 attic fans, so that I do not have to use 
     the air conditioning during summer. Also, almost every room 
     in my home has ceiling fans; so, I turn on the ceiling fan in 
     the room I am occupying instead of turning on the air 
     conditioning for my entire home.
       During the cold months, I set my thermostat to 40 or 50 
     degrees, 40 during the day if the outside temperature is 
     above 30, and 50 when I am at home or if the outside 
     temperature is below 30. This keeps my pipes from freezing, 
     and it keeps my bills low. I wear warm fleece underwear, and 
     warm fleece outer garments to stay warm. In contrast, my 
     neighbor pays 5 or 6 times as much as I do for their natural 
     gas bills during the cold months (but they are wealthy).
       I have drained my hot tub, and I no longer use it. Now I 
     wish I had never bought one. This hurts the hot tub industry, 
     and any businesses that support that industry.
       I canceled my satellite TV; that saves me $50 per month, 
     and that is good for about two-thirds of a tank of gas.
       I do not have a cell phone, and I do not plan on getting 
     one, since it would cost $50 or more a month (which I can 
     apply toward higher food costs).
       (4) I combine trips and do not drive unless I have to. No 
     Sunday drives. No ``unnecessary'' trips to the grocery store. 
     I used to travel about 10,000 miles per year; but for the 
     last 2 years, I have limited my driving to about 6,000 miles 
     per year.
       (5) I exclusively shop at Wal-Mart. If Wal-Mart does not 
     carry it, then I don't buy it. Why would I drive around town 
     to shop other stores when I can buy most everything at one 
     place? That is great for Wal-Mart, but it hurts other 
     businesses.
       (6) I used to take one decent overseas vacation each year 
     (or go to Hawaii or Florida). However, I stopped doing that 
     after 2005. And since the cost of airline tickets are 
     increasing, I won't even consider traveling. I need to save 
     my money to buy gas and food. And when I see the price of oil 
     rise $10 or more in one day, then I do not think about doing 
     anything but save money for ``the worst case scenario.''
       (7) I have changed my diet. I purchase less or no meats and 
     more pasta and rice. I buy graham crackers instead of Oreos, 
     or I make my own cookies. I buy less snack foods. The energy 
     costs have driven up food costs. I have found ways to keep my 
     food prices low by adjusting my diet, but this hurts other 
     businesses. Oh, and I am not one of those obese Americans; 
     I'm 5'9" and 160 pounds . . . right where I need to be. I do 
     not understand how obese Americans and their children can 
     afford to feed their addiction to foods.
       (8) I had hoped to quit my full-time job and work part-time 
     instead (in lieu of traditional ``retirement''). However, 
     because of the drastic increase in prices of energy and food, 
     and because of the uncertainty and volatility in the global 
     markets, I have postponed quitting my full-time job. That 
     means that a college graduate cannot have my good paying 
     full-time job. And it means that I can not enjoy the extra 
     free time that a part-time job would give me.
       (9) I drive a 1994 pick-up truck. I would like to buy a new 
     vehicle, but I can not. Why? Because I need something that 
     gets very good gas mileage and has a reasonable price tag, 
     and there are no cars on the road that meet these criteria, 
     even the so-called hybrids (which can not pay for themselves 
     even at $5 or $6 a gallon because of the increased cost of 
     hybrid technology). Back in 1994, it was a mistake to trade-
     in my 1987 Honda Civic that got 40 mpg in the city and 50 mpg 
     on the highway (and it wasn't even a hybrid . . . and most 
     hybrids can't even come close to that kind of gas mileage 
     these days . . . but they cost 3 or 4 times as much as my 
     Honda did in 1987 . . . and the ``technology'' is so much 
     greater today!!!!). So, I will continue driving my 1994 truck 
     that gets 19 mpg city, because it is way too expensive to buy 
     a new vehicle (i.e., the cost to get a 30 mpg or 35 mpg 
     vehicle will not pay for itself for 7 or 10 years). And you 
     don't need to know my truck's mpg for highway driving, since 
     I do not enjoy outdoor activities anymore, so it doesn't 
     matter.
       (10) I have noticed more crime in Boise within the last 
     year. Why do you think that is? Because energy costs (and 
     food costs) have risen too quickly . . . people can't cope 
     with the sudden increases. However, we are not adding more 
     police or more jails to support the increase in crime. I am 
     glad that I do not live in a major metropolitan area, because 
     I think that if energy costs continue to climb, the country 
     is at risk of rioting in its metro areas.


                           CRISIS RESOLUTION

       (1) Politicians need to stop pandering to oil companies and 
     oil executives by developing very stringent fuel economy 
     requirements. Politicians need to stop pandering to oil 
     companies and oil executives by honestly and diligently 
     pursuing alternative forms of energy. But can the politicians 
     do this? After all, there is a lot of money involved with oil 
     in so many places, industries, pocketbooks, and campaign 
     contributions (legitimate and otherwise).
       (2) Drill for oil on USA soil and in USA waters. Why? 
     Because we can not wean ourselves from oil instantly; and 
     there are no viable automotive solutions today that do not 
     use oil. It is going to take several years to wean ourselves 
     from oil. In the meantime, we need to rely on our own oil 
     sources to balance our foreign oil dependency. This means 
     drilling in ``pristine'' Alaska, along both of our coasts, 
     and in other areas of our country where ``environmentalists'' 
     say we should not drill.
       (3) Pursue fuel cell technology for vehicles (Honda is 
     doing it, finally). Forget ethanol. Forget hybrids. Fuel cell 
     vehicles require hydrogen and oxygen and emit water! No 
     gasoline involved at all. And no cash crops like corn are 
     required, which should help ease the price of this and other 
     commodities.
       (4) Use more nuclear energy. This technology currently 
     exists, and it is viable. We do not have to start from 
     scratch.
       (5) Take lessons from New Zealand with regards to hydro-
     electricity and other forms of energy. That country is 
     extremely self-sufficient when it comes to energy.
       (6) Use more wind power. This technology currently exists, 
     and it is viable. Are some (rich) people worried about the 
     view of the landscape changing? Then stop painting the wind 
     turbines all white! Paint them to blend into the background, 
     or camouflage style!
       (7) Pursue solar power. It is amazing that this technology 
     is so far behind. The sun is so powerful, and so available. 
     Regular homeowners can not afford solar panels on their 
     homes. Look at all the wasted roof space on buildings and 
     homes!
       (8) Give incentives for conservation. Why is this last on 
     my list? Because I think most people do conserve energy 
     already . . . except maybe the ``celebrities'' like Al Gore 
     and many other rich folks who tout the environment and 
     conservation, but live in the lap of luxury and waste.
     Kristian, Boise.
                                  ____

       I really do not think the gasoline price is really a result 
     of supply and demand. I am all for conservation and 
     alternative energy

[[Page S7772]]

     plans and research with diverse sources. I am not opposed to 
     nuclear. I just do not like the feeling of being manipulated. 
     Just yesterday the spokesperson for Saudi Arabia expressed 
     concern about the price of oil. They can see the writing on 
     the wall if it stays like this. They increased supply while 
     insisting that it is not a supply issue.
       Other sources that are much more progressive have pointed 
     out that legislation passed late in 2000 deregulated the 
     energy futures. It was suggested on NPR today that Congress 
     could reverse that decision and change the price of energy in 
     one month. You can tell I would sit on the other side of the 
     aisle if I was in Congress but with [the President] making 
     such a fuss about supply and demand I doubt we are going to 
     see any bold action from Congress.
       I have pulled the points for the following paragraph from 
     ``Mother Jones'' July-August 2008. You may not like the 
     source but let us discuss the facts. I am referring to an 
     omnibus spending bill passed on or about December 15, 2000. 
     Yes, President Clinton was still in office then. Senator Phil 
     Gramm slipped in a 262-page measure called the Commodity 
     Futures Modernization Act. It contained a provision lobbied 
     for by Enron that exempted energy trading from regulatory 
     oversight. This is primarily about California electricity and 
     the mortgage securities fiasco but I am sure that this 
     regulation or other similar has allowed the current run up in 
     energy futures. This could be regulated. The regulations put 
     in place after the Great Depression were sound and it has 
     been a disaster to undo many of them.
       Personally, the high energy prices have had little impact 
     on me. I am, at least for now, still an overpaid engineer at 
     Micron. I have purchased another old Saturn and my wife is 
     driving that more and driving the Bonneville less. GM is 
     saying how much it would take to raise the CAFE standards, 
     but many of us have increased the mileage of our cars by 20 
     percent for about $200 and we have not disabled emission 
     systems or lied to the engine computer. My car has averaged 
     55 mpg for the last year and will do about 50 mpg at 65 mph.
       The changes are primarily aerodynamics and a little hotter 
     air fed into the engine. Some have bypassed emission systems 
     but many have not.
       That is not much of a story but I hope it gets you to 
     thinking about some of these in a new light.
       Thanks.
     Ernie, Meridian.
                                  ____

       Because of the gas prices we hardly go anywhere other than 
     work and the store. Most of this energy crisis has been 
     brought about by the speculators--these are the same people 
     who brought on the sub-prime mess. They have to be stopped 
     because they are ruining our economy. The cost of oil has 
     nothing to do with its availability; it is pure speculation 
     on the part of commodity traders. If these scavengers are not 
     reigned in, the world economy is in for a depression. As soon 
     as the energy bubble bursts, they will move to a new bubble 
     which is food and, because of them, millions will starve. One 
     of the other driving forces behind oil prices is the Federal 
     Reserve (which is neither federal or reserve) lowering 
     interest rates and devaluing the dollar. The banks are out 
     for only themselves and they do not care what happens to the 
     rest of us. The Federal Reserve needs to be done away with--
     because of the Fed's printing and Congress's spending habits, 
     we are in big trouble.
       We can barely afford the price of gas to go to and from 
     work so vacations are out this year and so are a lot of other 
     things. [How] are people, especially senior citizens on a 
     fixed income, going to heat their homes this winter? This is 
     going to hurt Idaho businesses because any extra money is 
     either spent on food or utilities.
       Nobody believes the government figures on inflation (which 
     are out-and-out lies) or the figures on unemployment. We are 
     getting tired of the government lying to us and thinking we 
     are too stupid to figure it out. There is nobody to for vote 
     for or against in either the Democrat or Republican 
     Presidential race. I am . . . tired of wasting my vote on the 
     lesser of 2 evils . . .
     Mr. and Mrs. George.

                          ____________________